Conifer collection at Cascades Gardens

Cascades Gardens has seen a lot of changes over last autumn and winter.Inspired by Adrian Blooms book “Gardening with Conifers” and the birth of my daughter Sophia in November 2015, I have created two conifer beds on the side of the rocks in the first part of the garden.I have called the main one “Sophia’s Conifer Border”. As most of the miniture conifers only grow about 1 cm per year I imagine she will be going to university about the time that the new borders mature and become the border designs I envisaged.

Cascades now boasts about 85 different conifers, mostly dwarf varieties. From the ones I planted 30 years ago,Picea Glauca Albertiana Conica ( now 3ft tall ) to Metsasequoia Glypstroboides ( now 30ft tall) to my two new favourites Picea Pungens Hoopsii (a blue spruce) and Cryptomeria Japonica sekkan-sugi (a semi pendulous delicate tree) . The most difficult thing I have had to master is all the proper names of the trees and their prononciation. Try Chamaecyparis pisifera Squarrosa Lombarts!